Peter Muennig ^1*, Erica Lubetkin ², Haomiao Jia ³, Peter Franks ⁴

¹ Columbia University
² City University of New York Medical School
³ Mercer Medical School
⁴ University of California, Davis

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pm124{at}columbia.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We estimated the burden of disease in the United States attributable to obesity by gender, with life expectancy, quality-adjusted life expectancy, years of life lost annually, and quality-adjusted life years lost annually as outcome measures.

Methods. We obtained burden of disease estimates for adults falling into the following body-mass index categories: normal weight (23 to <25), overweight (25 to <30), and obese (?30). We analyzed the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to obtain health-related quality-of-life scores and the 1990-1992 National Health Interview Survey linked to National Death Index data through the end of 1995 for mortality.

Results. Overweight men and women lost 270 000 and 1.8 million quality-adjusted life years, respectively, relative to their normal-weight counterparts. Obese men and women lost 1.9 million and 3.4 million quality-adjusted life years, respectively, per year. Much of the burden of disease among overweight and obese women arose from lower health-related quality of life and late life mortality.

Conclusions. Relative to men, women suffer a disproportionate burden of disease attributable to overweight and obesity, mostly because of differences in health-related quality of life.

Key Words: Gender, Global Health, Obesity, Overweight, Underweight, Mortality, Surveys

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Jia and E. I. Lubetkin The statewide burden of obesity, smoking, low income and chronic diseases in the United States J Public Health, December 1, 2009; 31(4): 496 - 505. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Maty, J. W. Lynch, T. E. Raghunathan, and G. A. Kaplan Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Gender, Adult Body Mass Index, and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Over 34 Years in the Alameda County Study Am J Public Health, August 1, 2008; 98(8): 1486 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Muennig, H. Jia, R. Lee, and E. Lubetkin I Think Therefore I Am: Perceived Ideal Weight as a Determinant of Health Am J Public Health, March 1, 2008; 98(3): 501 - 506. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Towfighi, J. L. Saver, R. Engelhardt, and B. Ovbiagele A midlife stroke surge among women in the United States Neurology, November 13, 2007; 69(20): 1898 - 1904. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]